Electroplated wear and corrosion–resistant Co-Mo/CeO2 composite coatings for reducing mold fouling application.

Rubber tires, as an important part of automobiles, are produced by molding operation under molten temperature and high pressure. However, mold fouling during the vulcanization process is a rock-ribbed problem that not only leads to the loss in productivity and degradation of product quality but also results in severe accidents and enormous economic losses. In this work, a promising Co-Mo/CeO2 composite coating was electroplated and investigated to solve the mold fouling problem. The effect of CeO2 content on the surface morphology, microstructure, hardness, tribological and electrochemical behavior is systematically studied. With an addition of 10 g/L CeO2, the Co-Mo/CeO2 composite coating not only possesses the highest microhardness, the best wear and corrosion resistance but also features hydrophobicity and remarkable mold antifouling performance. This study offers a new strategy for producing composite coatings with excellent performance to reduce mold fouling in practical tire industry applications. Co-Mo/CeO2 composite coatings with excellent corrosion and wear resistance as well as low surface energy were simply electrodeposited and applicated for antifouling in tire mold for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]